{"id":39631,"date":"2006-02-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-02-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/walk-the-line\/"},"modified":"2006-02-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-02-06T00:00:00","slug":"walk-the-line","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/walk-the-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Walk The Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

OK, it’ 1:10 on a night when I really should be
\ngetting some sleep for classes tomorrow. Am I studying? Hell no.
\nTalking with friends? Strike two. No, I find myself here listening
\nto two actors reinterpret old country standards by two of the
\ngenre’s most influential artists.<\/p>\n

It was just recently that I finally got around to
\nseeing Walk The Line<\/i>, the Johnny Cash biopic that came out a
\nfew months ago. And you know what, I’m kicking myself for waiting
\nso long. Much like my first viewing of Ray<\/i>, the movie has
\nopened my eyes to music I would never have given a chance
\notherwise. The difference here is that with Ray<\/i> I really
\nenjoyed the music; with Walk The Line<\/i> I love it.<\/p>\n

Let the record show that up until the movie and
\nsoundtrack, my exposure to Johnny Cash was extremely limited. He
\nwas a name floating around, with songs like “A Boy Named Sue.”
\nNothing too enticing, really. However, since the movie, not only
\ndid I race back home to download the soundtrack from iTunes, but I
\nmanaged to borrow American Recordings<\/i> and Unearthed<\/i>
\nfrom a friend. Listen is the wrong word to describe what I’ve been
\ndoing with them; devour is much more appropriate.<\/p>\n

Ray<\/i> was a collection of Charles’ actual
\nrecordings, which Jamie Foxx lip-synced to during the movie. For
\nWalk The Line<\/i>, Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix
\nactually performed their vocals live. I knew this going in, but
\nwhen I walked out of that theater I had been absolutely blown away.
\nPhoenix and Witherspoon channeled Cash and Carter; there’s no other
\nexplanation for it. Hardcore fans would be able to tell the
\ndifference, but to a person like me, it was as if Cash was
\nperforming in the movie itself.<\/p>\n

This connection is even stronger on the actual
\nsoundtrack; Phoenix somehow managed to capture Cash’s vocal
\ninflections and mannerisms during “I Walk The Line,” and “Ring of
\nFire,” to the point where I was convinced the Man in Black was
\nsinging. Witherspoon does a tremendous job as well, though I could
\nhear the “Legally Blond” chick lurking. I didn’t care though,
\nbecause just as Phoenix, Witherspoon becomes June Carter. Listening
\nto the duets of “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “Jackson” are the highlights
\nof the album for me.<\/p>\n

Just like Ray<\/i>, the amazing quality of the
\ntracks stunned me. In fact, these songs spoke to me more than
\nanything off Ray<\/i>. The emotions and feelings expressed are
\ndark, yet can lift you up. I see “Ring Of Fire,” as perseverance,
\nholding true to your love. “Wildwood Flower” has some gorgeous
\nlyrics that just rip through to your core with the perfect imagery;
\n“He’s gone and neglected this pale wildwood flow’r.”<\/p>\n

In other reviews, I’ve mentioned my dislike for
\ncountry music as a genre. It has never appealed to me, and I didn’t
\nexpect it to. However, I can actually say that Walk The Line<\/i>
\nhas changed my thinking. Songs like “Jukebox Blues,” if you look at
\nthem, are corny. But for once, I bought into the “fun” aspect. I
\njust sat back and enjoyed the ride. This is a different kind of
\ncountry music than what I hear on the radio today. Guess I was just
\na few decades late.<\/p>\n

This all being said, Walk The Line<\/i> has one
\nglaring weakness; the Elvis Presley\/Jerry Lee Lewis etc. songs.
\nFirst of, these performances did not capture the spirit of the
\nartists as did the ones performed by Phoenix and Witherspoon. That
\nis not to say the songs are bad, but they ruin the flow of the
\nalbum. There were so many great performances left off the record,
\nlike the duet “Time’s A Wastin'”. I’d much rather have heard that
\nsong then “Lewis Boogie.” This movie wasn’t about Elvis or Lewis,
\nand so it detracts from the focus of the album itself.<\/p>\n

It’s now 1:39, and here I am finishing a review to
\nwhat I consider the best non-orchestral soundtrack I have had the
\nprivilege of listening to. Others who buy this soundtrack might see
\nit as a series of covers that don’t equate the originals. I
\nprobably couldn’t argue with that, but that’s not the point. What
\nthis disc has done for me is more than just entertainment. I’ve sat
\nhere listening to the music of Johnny Cash, feeling the pain of
\n“Hurt,” rejoicing in “Do Lord.” I’ve sat here listening to one man
\nwith a guitar captivating me in a way which very few artists can do
\nfor me.<\/p>\n

Yes, it is actors performing, and there are a few
\ncovers I find to be useless. But that doesn’t change a thing. For
\nme, Walk The Line<\/i> has proven to be greater than the sum of
\nits parts.<\/p>\n

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